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This great purple butterfly,
In the prison of my hands,
Has a learning in his eye
Not a poor fool understands.
~William Butler Yeats, “Another Song of a Fool”
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Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours writing what I thought was a pretty good piece on Rama V, but….I fell asleep while reading it.
Writing something, be it a blog post or a cookbook, isn’t as simple as rattling off a few thoughts. It’s about engaging the audience and putting your thoughts across clearly. And most importantly, it’s about knowing when to stop.
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If you bring that sentence in for a fitting, I can have it shortened by Wednesday.
~M*A*S*H, Hawkeye, “The Gun”
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The restaurant still retain its old charm, parquet floors, popular in the 70s, and bathtub in the restroom. The tables are dotted with jasmine buds which permeate the air with a mild scent. Lights are dim and warm, and the stage is set for an evening of indulgence.
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Mieng kam
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Mieng kam, served as an appetiser, has all the elements of an appetite stimulant. Birds eye chillies, peanuts, toasted coconut, onions, ginger, dried shrimps, sweet peanut sauce and chopped limes are wrapped in daun kadok. The time-tested combination is one that works – obviously.
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Chor Ladda – blue dumplings stuffed with chicken and shrimp – recommended
Kao Tan Na Tang – crispy rice with minced chicken – light, crisp and crumbly…an excellent appetiser
Yam Som O, Yam Hua Plee – pomelo salad and banana blossom salad
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The predominant ingredients seem to be chicken and dried shrimp, and the characteristic tangy taste of lime in many Thai cuisines is present in some of these dishes. The Chor Ladda, blue dumpling, is new to me, and while I’m not overly excited about the thick and chewy skin, I do love the minced chicken and peanut filling due to its savoury-sweet taste. Heck, I’d order it again just to behold its beauty. The restaurant takes pride in its presentation, and as a guest, I am enthralled. It is a night of firsts, as I enjoy the banana blossom salad which contains coconut milk to give it a richer texture.
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Tom yam talay, Hor Mok Talay
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Some like it mild, some like it spicy. But if you ask for a spicy version of the tom yam, you’ll be greeted by searing hot pain and numbness. I LOVE the mild version as the flavours are more discernible. The otak-otak, presented in a wooden mould that houses individual portions, is something that we ended up having mixed opinions over. I thought it was slightly overcooked, but some felt it was soft and moist and thus perfect.
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Pandan chicken -flavourful, one of Bald Eagle’s favourites
Deep fried garoupa fish in three types of chilli
Green curry. I found this a little too mild
River prawn with thai chilli paste – very fresh. Excellent and highly recommended
Fried Wonton – crisp beancurd skin enveloping minced chicken meat – I LOVE THIS
Kailan with salted fish – the salted fish is of superior quality and enhances the overall flavour of this dish
Black pepper beef – the green peppercorn creates a mild burst of peppery flavour in the mouth – yummy!
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The distinguishing factor about the food at Rama V is the quality of the ingredients and the subtlety of flavours. Ingredients are used sparingly but sufficiently to ensure that they are not overpowering. Rama V removes the common misconception that Thai food is fiery hot and spicy.
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An array of desserts
Pumpkin custard – my favourite
Luk chup, Royal Thai dessert
Luk chup – sweet desserts – looks like chilli, feels like chilli, but it ain’t chilli
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Make room for desserts. You won’t regret it. I love the pumpkin custard, a unique preparation of custard within a slice of pumpkin topped with shredded egg yolk. The durian and mango pulut are also outstanding. Unfortunately, the luk chup (glazed mung bean dessert) is only available on special request, and I hear that it took them two days to prepare this dish. Again, I am impressed by the details and the finishing. The sweet mung bean filling is very smooth and refined.
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Singha beer is available
Party at Rama V
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I visited Rama V three times in a span of two weeks, and on all occasions, I found the quality consistent. Service was also attentive on all occasions. Prices? You will be surprised to know that they are very reasonable. Appetisers are on average, about RM20 per dish, while mains range from RM20+ to an average of RM60 on the higher end. Desserts are from RM11 to RM22.
However, ultimately, any dining experience is pushed to superlative heights by the celebration of friendship.
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Rama V
No. 5 Jalan U Thant
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-21432663
Opening Hours: 11am-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm
The luk chup is my fav – so delicate and finely made with a melt in the mouth green bean paste. Yums!
Wow…. the pictures look so stunning! 🙂
your original piece cant be THAT bad la. i’m pretty sure it’s the heavy lunch that made you sleepy. 😛
ultimately, any blog post is pushed to superlative heights by one’s excellent shots (e.g. the reflection of the glass panels on the pond, the bokeh of the wine glasses and the colourful royal desserts). and of course, that distinctive lyrical touch la.
i wanna check out Rama V la. when? when? 🙂
I am indeed surprised, because everything looks fit for a king! By the way, they totally should have a spoon sampler for their soup just so you know you can “take” their hot and spicy version 🙂
LL>> your shots just get better and better and better and better!!
Hairy >> nak ikuuuuutttt 😉
read until fall asleep..oh dear me, im sure it can’t b that bad la..
but this constant reminder of rama v really getting me pscyhed up to try this place..
oh, poesy was there too?
hairy & yin : Saya nak ikut sama!!! หิว 😀
Surprised to know that it ain’t as pricey as I thought it would be;)
so this is what they mean by ‘save the best for last’.
You do lupchup justice.. glad they brought it out;)
boo_licious: Yeah man..they were very tasty. I think Danny knew that we’d be the ones who’d appreciate them the most, which is why he left the whole plate on our table. 😛
Selba: Thank you! The presentation was gorgeous, of course.
HairyBerry: Trust me…it was bad. Awww, you’re the sweetest…i’m floating with your compliments. We try to improve la. Oh, I’d love to go there again. We can organise a group, eh? See…Yin and Unka have already offered. hehe.
Manggy: I agree about the tasting bit, coz our tastes vary. Some went, eww, so mild, while others were amazed that the tom yam could taste that good. The prices are definitely very reasonable for fine dining. As a comparison with US dollars, the appetisers are about USD6 each.
yin: Thank you! Really sweet of you for saying that. 🙂 And yes, of course you can ikut Hairy. I’m sure he’d love it.
lotsofcravings: you know when a person is so full of himself…it’s easy to bore himself to death, dont ya think? Yeah, Poesy was there too. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?
unkaleong: Apa tu? Yep, very reasonably priced. I’m sure you miss Thai food.
Ciki: You’re talking crap la. I love your post. But yeah, I’m glad they made the luk chup…thanks to you la. 😉
“I visited Rama V three times in a span of two weeks, and on all occasions, I found the quality consistent” .. now tht’s worth a visit! or many visits!
and hey, ur pics says it all..no nd for long essays ;p
My oh my… Singha beer!!!!
food aside, i have a lot to learn from you… your shooting skills really impressed me. 🙂
sniggering at TNG’s remark.
gorgeous post thamby, makes mine look like a withered worn sapling next to a lush verdant oasis….
guffawing at FBB’s coment 😛
That simple little character dah-link, means hungry in Thai 😉
thenomadGourmand: What?? You mean after all my fretting, I shouldn’t have bothered rewriting? lol. okay la…next time, more pics, less words.
thule aka leo: Ah, you’re a fan?
New Kid On The Blog: Thanks so much. Very nice of you to say that.
fatboybakes: withered worn sapling, my arse. Mine is nothing compared to yours, O Great Leader of the FBBFCs.
unkaleong: Thanks for the lesson in Thai!
yup, i saw the process of making those lup chup (sounds obscene eh) desserts, and boy was it tedious!!!!
painstakingly crafted personally, took days.
though tastewise, they’re like chewy flour only. least to me. heheh …
Your photos look great! That array of desserts and the colorful Luk chup looks inviting…it is indeed nice to see so many types of desserts in this restaurant.
J2Kfm: I can imagine how tedious it is. These guys made it even more realistic by adding real leaves and stems to the “fruits” and “vegetables”. Can you see them? I thought they’d be tasteless too, but the ones at Rama V were quite tasty.
ck lam: Thank you! Yeah, I was pretty amazed at the selection of desserts…from the ordinary to the unique. I must make it a point to try all the desserts there.
all the colours.. and grasp! the RANGE of desserts… i’m sold man..sold…
ey, tunggu saya. saya pun nak ikut!
i always see the Luk Chap on TV, and always wondered how it taste.
Oh my God…You have the MOSt amazing photography…Everything looks SO beautiful and delicious!
I’m most amazed by those blue dumplings..what makes them so blue?
amazing shots,and of course the food is to die for.i remember i ate
more sweets that i could handle when we visited Singapore 6 MOS
ago. my american husband does not have the taste for it. but he likes everything else especially the spicy ones. i miss cendol
and the yam ice cream on top of hot waffle flavored pandan
OMG – that huge tray of desserts is making me swoon already – thai desserts are really decadent, man! And the chillipadi Luk Chup… at 1st glance, i thought they were real! And most of the dishes looked too-darn-beautiful to eat, or maybe that’s just your superior photo-skills lah!
Next outing to Rama V, can include me please… can? can?
daphne: Try it when you come back with your hubby to KL.
keropokman: wei, don’t raise my hopes and dash them liddat ar. 😛
Sophia: THANK you. 🙂 They’re very inspiring to photograph. I have loads more wonderful pics that I’m not posting. Not sure abt the blue colour, though. Must chk with the guys at Rama V.
mareza: I thought Americans love their sugary desserts? I know this American grandpa (well, we call him Grandpa) who keeps complaining that our desserts aren’t sweet enough…and he’s 70, okay. 🙂 Yeah, cendol is good. Yam icecream isn’t as good here as it is in the Philippines.
Pureglutton: Everything Thai is wonderful. Yeah, the cili padi looks real right? It’s coz they used real cili padi stems and toothpicks to insert the stems into the luk chup. They’re really gorgeous, and so so tasty! Of course…will call you next time we go out (now that I have you on Facebook!). 🙂
I was just writing about how much I’m looking forward to some Thai food when I go home to Malaysia (I’m a student studying abroad) and your post just made my mouth water. I love the pictures!
@hairyberry, yins & unkaleong: biler pegi ni? jom prada dan i ikut, bisa? 😀
@tng: no need for long essays indeed, but sometimes the pieces take on a life of their own, y’know? 🙂
@awol: prada was just asking me the other day if there was a good thai place in town since we never seem to go to one, and our guests are starting to want a 4th option aside from hajime, village park and palate palette (my top 3 favs for very different sorts of food, at that)… so this is a nice add to my list.
once i’ve tried it of course, heh.
also, i know the exact feeling of falling asleep when writing a post (or in my case, trying to photoshop a pic). i usually just give up, take the snooze and start over. 😛
Aku nak ikut juga!!
I just made a new friend with a thai girl. She’s real sweet – she taught us the authentic way of making tom yam goong and tom kha gai. And her parents used to run a sweets shop in BKK – gotta ask her how to make luk chup! 😀
How on earth did you get such Fab pictures there? The lights were always too poor for my camera there and though I’ve always meant to write about that place, I didn’t. Me jealous!!!
the pumpkin custard reminds me of the same thing that I try to make it with my aunt. But we failed and it tasted so bad :p
oo macam sedap sangat!
LFB — gotta wait for hairy’s schedule lor..yunno lah..he’s the bz bz bz one…followed by you 😉 oooh wackbecky pun nak ikut! 😀
I saw Poesy in them piccies! Do you know her babe?
Is that the bald eagle with an Iron Maiden t-shirt? I didn’t know he was a fan 🙂 Beautiful photos as always Meena. I’m starting to wonder if I should bring you along on my vacations so I can have some decent photos to use in my trip reports 🙂
Regards
Gard
Joy: I just met her. She’s lovely. 🙂
Gard: LOL…yes, he’s a fan. I’m not converted yet, though. Pbbthh. And YES, BRING ME ALONG!!